Caucasian nature reserve

General information about the Reserve

Caucasian state natural biosphere reserve named after H. G. Shaposhnikov it is located on the territory of three regions of the Russian Federation at once, and most of its area falls on the Republic of Adygea. It is also located in Krasnodar Territory and Karachay-Cherkessia. For many tourists, this is the main value and main attraction of the Republic of Adygea, and only for the sake of it they go here. Almost all of its territory in Adygea is a mountainous zone at altitudes from 600 to 2800 meters.

Not only lovers of multi-day hikes and mountain climbs can visit the reserve, but also the most ordinary tourists in the form of an easy one-day hike (hiking), which is best to start in the morning, ideally early in the morning, otherwise you will not have time to see much. No special skills are required to complete a simple route: you only need good shoes and a satisfactory physical form, as you will have to walk along, though well-trodden, but still mountain trails. Such a walk is also available for children. Even during a one-day hike, you can see Alpine Meadows, mountain streams and waterfalls, reach the glacier and walk through the snow in the summer months, and, of course, enjoy the views of the mountains covered with snow caps.

If you like multi – day hikes or are ready to climb one of the peaks (Fisht – 2867 meters, Oshten-2804 meters, Pshecha – Su-2743 meters), then you can go along one of the longer tourist routes with a tent and a backpack. Some of the routes are circular, others will take you to the Black Sea or to Krasnaya Polyana in the Krasnodar Territory.

The Reserve is rich not only in beautiful views, but also in flora and fauna. Alpine Meadows cover slopes and Glades, and many plants are endemic, i.e. grow only here. If you are lucky, you can see bison, deer, West Caucasian Tur, chamois, Lynx, roe deer, wild boar, bear, herds of horses. For example, we (the authors of the site) in 2019 met a wild bear on the trail next to the camp in the instructor's gap.

How to visit the Reserve

The territory of the Reserve occupies a considerable part of the territory of Adygea, and this whole zone is protected. Its visit is possible only for a fee on official routes and in compliance with the rules. On the territory of Adygea there are two official points for entering the Reserve, where you can buy tickets (permits):

• Checkpoint "Lagonaki". Opening hours: around the clock. You can get to the checkpoint by road from Dakhovskaya (Dakhovskaya road-Lagonaki checkpoint), the checkpoint itself is located right at the end of the asphalt road (Checkpoint on the map).
• Checkpoint Uzurub. Opening hours: 06:00-21:00. You can get there by road from Guzeriplya before Yavorova Polyana on the asphalt, leave the car there, and walk to the checkpoint through the forest for another 10 minutes (Checkpoint on the map).

You can get to each of these checkpoints only by private transport, taxi, or, in extreme cases, hitchhiking, but the latter option depends heavily on luck, because there are few cars here, and basically everyone goes to the checkpoint already filled. In front of the checkpoint, the car can be left in a paid parking lot for 200 rubles per day, but for one-day hikes, cars are often left right on the road nearby. Also near each of the checkpoints there is a simple option for accommodation for the night (from 500 rubles/person) and a cafe.

There is another checkpoint "cordon Guzeripl", which is located right in the village of Guzeripl. But it is more convenient to use it to purchase tickets to then enter through another checkpoint, or to enter a short hiking trail to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the Reserve, and long-distance routes are not available from here.

Before entering the Reserve on the routes from storna Adygea, it is most convenient to stop for the night in Guzeriple, Dakhovskaya, Khamyshki or Kamennomostsky.

Most tourists believe that the most beautiful and diverse route for short hikes to the Alpine Meadows, waterfalls and Glacier passes from the checkpoint Uzurub, while from the checkpoint "Lagonaki" will have to go to these places for another 3-5 hours. However, if you are not ready to go hiking for many hours, a 15-minute walk from the checkpoint "Lagonaki" there is an observation deck, but to enter it you still have to pay as per day of stay in the Reserve (see the cost below).

In addition to these checkpoints, there are many more unofficial trails along which you can get into the reserve, but keep in mind that being on the territory without permission is prohibited, and theoretically you face a fine of several thousand and escorting outside it. In practice, this happens very rarely, but we still recommend visiting the reserve only with official permission for a fee, because the funds go to maintain the biosphere.

To pass routes No. 9" Engelmanovy polyany tract – Kardyvach Lake"; No. 11 "Bolshaya Adjara River – Engelmanovy Polyany"; No. 19 "Kardyvach Lake", you must obtain a pass from the border service of the FSB of Russia (Sochi border guard) in advance, since your path will pass near the border with Abkhazia. Phone Sochi Border Guard: 8 (862) 266-128-57. It is necessary to apply for a pass in advance, since the period of its preparation is 1 month.

So, once in the territory, you can, at your discretion, continue along one of the routes with overnight stays in tents or sleeping bags, and go to the territory of another region, or take a little walk along part of the route, return and exit through the same checkpoint. You can also go to the checkpoint "Lagonaki", and get out in Guzeriple, for example. But you need to warn the park staff at one of the checkpoints in advance about the route you have chosen when buying tickets.

It is possible to move only on officially provided and designated routes and trails, it is impossible to deviate from them. Also, you can not arrange overnight stays not in the designated places, of which there are officially only two: Fisht shelter (convenient for half a climb to Fisht) and Armenian shelter (also known as "Instructor's slit") (convenient for climbing Pshekha-Su and Oshten, hiking to the mountain Lake Psenodah. In practice, we (atvory site) saw how tourists camped in any convenient places without any consequences. All routes and parking places are well-trodden and marked with signs, but if you are not sure, you can stock up on a map and Navigator, or check the information with the staff at the checkpoint. There are 15 routes in total, a detailed description of them with maps and action time is here - https://kavkazzapoved.ru/routes. Note that the routes are mainly available only from May to September. You can find many hiking routes on Yandex map editor in the Osm and Yandex. Maps apps. Organic Maps but there are also inaccuracies that can lead you to the wrong place.

Popular routes and attractions

From the side of Adygea in the Caucasian reserve there are the following most interesting places:

• The Highlands or plateau of Lago Naki. The easiest route without large elevation differences. Available as a walk for several hours from the Lago-Naki checkpoint, and most often visited in the form of group excursions with resorts of the Krasnodar Territory together with the cave Azishskaya.
• Mount Oshten. The most popular tourist peak in the Reserve, height 2804 meters. In summer, you can climb it without equipment, and even with children. Usually this route takes two days, the overnight stay takes place in a tent in the camp of the instructor's slot. Learn more about Mount Oshten and how to climb it here.
• Pshekha-Su. The lowest of the peaks of the Fisht-Oshten Massif, its height is 2743 meters. Despite this, it is more difficult to conquer than Oshten, and is located further from the entrance to the Reserve.
• Fisht. The highest and most difficult peak. To overcome it, climbing experience and equipment are necessary even in the summer, although as they write in the reviews, some tourists climbed it completely without experience and equipment. But this is rather an exception and a risk that we do not recommend neglecting.
• Instructor's gap, she's a booth Armenian. This is an officially authorized area for setting up a tent, the closest to the entrance to the Reserve from the Uzurub checkpoint. It is the easiest to walk here during a one-day hike, and it is also the most convenient official site for hiking to Lake Psenodach, the ascent to Oshten and Pshecha-Su. Learn more about the Armenian Booth/instructor slot here....
• Lake Psenodach. Beautiful mountain lake with very cold water in The Shape of a crescent. You can visit it during a one-day hike if you enter early in the morning through the Uzurub checkpoint. Learn more about Lake Psenodach and how to visit it here.
• Lake 8th March. A small mountain lake that can be visited on the way to Lake Psenodach, or look at it from above when climbing Oshten. It really has the shape of an 8-Ki.
• Ridge "Stone sea". A large Beautiful Ridge, which is perfectly visible from the road to the checkpoint "Uzurub" and from the Partizanskaya Glade. Especially to pass through the ridge does not make much sense, it looks best from the side.
• The Hedgehog's umbilical cord. This is a small mountain near the instructor's gap, which offers a good view of the surroundings and the Lago Naki plateau. Pimple Hedgehog is a good alternative if you are not ready to climb the more serious peaks of the Reserve. From the tourist camp in the instructor's slot you can get here in 30 minutes, but you have to go up a lot.

Cost of visit and where to buy tickets

Tickets as of 2021 per day of stay cost 300 rubles per adult, 150 rubles for children from 7 to 14 years old, children under 7 years old - free of charge. But prices increase almost every year, so you can check on the official website of the reserve - https://kavkazzapoved.ru/. Tickets are purchased directly at the checkpoint for cash, but soon it is planned to implement their purchase on the site. In practice, we know that some "stowaways" in exceptional cases were "treated" when found right on the routes, and released further. But still before the trip we recommend to clarify the sale and availability of tickets at a particular checkpoint by Phone +7 (988)150-01-02, +7(988)288-45-74, since in 2019, due to changes in legislation, sales at some checkpoints were suspended, and it was possible to pass through them only with pre-purchased electronic tickets or purchased at other checkpoints.

What is important and unfortunately, the payment policy is such that the permit is valid only until midnight of the same day, and not a full day, for which the date is stamped on the tickets. This means that if you need to enter today and leave tomorrow, then in any case you need to pay for two days, even if you will be on the route for less than one day. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully calculate the planned time of your stay before the trip, and purchase tickets to the checkpoint immediately for all days of your stay.

Visiting rules

As in all reserves, there are strict rules of behavior. It is impossible to deviate from routes, to arrange overnight stays in unidentified places, to light fires (it is allowed to use burners), to cut down trees, to tear off plants, to damage the soil, to leave garbage, to carry out professional photo or video shooting without the permission of the administration, etc. The full rules can be found at the checkpoint or on the official website of the reserve - https://kavkazzapoved.ru/pravila-posescheniya.

Other useful information

• Clothing and footwear. For one-day routes, it is enough to put on comfortable sneakers or other hiking shoes, for multi-day routes we highly recommend special trekking boots or sneakers. If you plan to climb the peaks of Fisht, Oshten or Pshecha-Su, you need to use climbing equipment: climbing shoes with cats, an ice axe, a helmet. But climbing these peaks is a different and more complex story, requiring careful preparation and study of the features of the route. In summer, Oshten or Pshekha-Su can be climbed without sleeping.

  The temperature during the summer months is warm enough during the day for a light jacket, but you need to bring something warmer for the night, as well as for climbing the mountains. Sleeping bag for the night is required. Also be sure to take a raincoat.

  Even during the day, the temperature changes very quickly depending on the clouds, so it is best to wear easily unbuttoned ventilated clothes.

• Meals on routes. You will not be able to buy any food when walking along the routes, you will have to take everything with you. The minimum set of products can only be purchased at the Fisht shelter.

• Water in the Reserve. There are quite a lot of mountain rivers and streams on the territory, the water in which is suitable for drinking, but it is better to boil it or use special disinfecting tablets like AquaTabs.

• Tent. In the summer, in order to save weight, you can not take a tent with you, but sleep in a sleeping bag under the open sky, but for this you need to have warm clothes.

• Help with routes. If you have any questions about the passage of routes or any other on the work of the Reserve, then you can call the administration by phone 8-988-150-01-02 (Tourism Department), 8 (862) 240-51-36, 8 (928) 844-31-31, or write to e-mail kgpbz@mail.ru. Very adequate people work there, and they are happy to answer correctly posed questions.

• Cellular communication. Almost throughout the Reserve, cellular communication does not work, you can catch the signal only on some of the peaks and at the borders.

• Security. The Reserve is generally safe as long as the usual safety rules on mountain trails are followed. Valuables and tents can be left unattended in the parking areas during the hike or storming of the summit, there is practically no theft here. In recent years, the number of bears in the Reserve has increased, they come right to the camps, but so far there have been no facts of the attack. But still exercise caution.

• Official website. You can get up-to-date information about routes and contacts on the official website https://kavkazzapoved.ru/